Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1887-02-23
POINTS FOR SMOKERS.
Dealers Chat About Good and Bad
Havana and Domestic Cigars.
"Gimme a tbree.ccnt cigar-strone.


"Gimme three-ccnt cigar-strong."
That's what tough-looking customer
said the other evening to the proprietor OF
one OF the most flourishing cigar stores In
The center of the city. After he had set
fire TO his cheroot and passed out. a re4
porter who had been talking to the dealer
expressed surprise that he sold cigars OF
;h;st grade,
why, bless your innocent soul" said
the man behind the counter, I'VE sell ci-
gars TWO for FIVE Cents
i don't see how they can he made and
sold at that figure
"But they are, all the same We buy
'em for fifteen dollars thousand. and
sometimes less Many of the uptown and
downtown stores shoot 'cm eff ut nickel
apiece"
What kind of tobacco is uscd!''
"Pennsylvania seed tobacco, and it's
mighty cheap, too, or else it couldn't be-
done, Then the cigars are ground cut in !
mold
What do you mean by seed tohacco~
"Why seed tobacco is grown from tho
seed of the Havana plant" and the man
behind the counter grinned at tho inno-
cent newsman, as he went on. ut is not
Indigenous American tobacco. The IiativQ
American plant is not fit 10 make up into
cigars. 1t couldn't be smoked It's too
rank, and it would break You all up"
Are these cheap things packed in
boxesg'
"Why, certainly. The Government says
all cigars must be sold from the boxes,
end that settles it, you know. Did you
ever notice how these rank-a-pcas were
packed! No? Wen, they're packed with
the heads away from the lid
Nv hats that done for.''
hnt'Q 1ppp in, NOT IN brin,r bn
shape of the cigar into prominence. OF
course they're not beautifully made, and
felix's wEo sell them have an idea that their
defects would show more if packed tbs
usual way"
''ro change the subject somewhat, tell
me what difference the color makes in a
cigar. Is the dark-colored cigar any
stronger than the light-colored onel'
"Oh, it's mostly fancy. AS a matter OF
fact there's not much difference in the
two. You can see that very readily your
self. The color Of the cigar is no deeper
than the wrapper. and the wrapper is u
very small part of it."
How about the genuine Havaual'
THE natural Havana cigar is dark
coiored cigar. As it is also very strong
tobacco, people who smoke Havana cigars
Try TO get them Gs light in color as they
can. On the other hand, people
who smoke domestic cigars think
the dark tobacco better, and they
ask for them nincty-nine cases out
Of hundred The makers, therefore, try
to get Havana cigars light AMI domestic
ones dark. Indeed, some Of these cheap
grades of domestic cigars are actually
painted TO make 'em look dark"
How are the different grades of Havana
cigars known so far as color is con-
Cerncdr'
The strongest and darkest arc sogruro,',
but they are rarely made now. Then comes
'mGduro,' the colorado maduro, then
colorado then colorado claro,' and fin
ally 'claro.' The claro is the lightest cigar
made"
"Do the manufacturers ever use cabbage
leaves!'
'No, certainly not 1t couldn't be
worked, to begin with, and then you
couldn't smoke it. No, they use tobacco
in the worst of eln. OF course, that to.
bacco wouldn't take a premium" And
the man behind the counter winl1ed just a
little to let the reporter know he had
worked off quite a good point, while he
pulled two or three times on his Havana.